The present invention relates to an oral cleaning device and, in particular, to a scraper for removing bacteria from the tongue.
From the time of childhood, people are taught to brush their teeth to remove bacteria from the teeth to inhibit or prevent tooth decay. However, while the brushing does remove bacteria from the tooth surfaces, a substantial amount of bacteria remains like a reservoir on the dorsal surface of the tongue so as to permit the rapid regrowth and return of the bacteria to the teeth to prevent continued decay.
It has been recognized that more is required than the mere removal of bacteria from tooth surfaces. People who suffer from mouth odor conditions such as halitosis, particularly fail to remove sufficient amounts of bacteria from the remote surfaces of the mouth such as the posterior dorsal surfaces of the tongue. The cleansing of the teeth alone, therefore, is not sufficient to eliminate or severely reduce the growth of tooth bacteria and decay and it has been found necessary to reduce the extent of the bacteria remaining in the adjacent portions of the oral cavity.
Several suggestions for devices adapted to remove bacteria from the tongue and mouth have been made in the prior patented disclosures of Barrett U.S. Pat. No. 1,891,864, Runnels U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,750 and McNeill U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,274.
Each of the known devices suggested and exemplified by the foregoing patents suffers from various problems. For example, the McNeill patent is a substantially massive tongue cleaning sponge which fails to conform to the contour fo the distal portion of the tongue where the major portion of bacteria remains after the cleaning and rinsing of the mouth and the teeth. The thickness of the sponge and its failure to conform to the shape of the tongue thus inhibit its use within the distal areas of the mouth. The thickness of the sponge especially contributes to gagging by the user and, therefore, mitigates against such use.
The Runnels patent teaches a tongue scraper which, although provided with scraping surfaces, is relatively thick in dimension and again fails to conform to the shape of the distal portion of the tongue to be cleaned. It, too, suffers from the same problems as McNeill. Further, the scraping surfaces are formed of ridges and ribs which extend above the surface of the body, thereby materially increasing its thickness and preventing its use in the back or distal areas of the mouth.
The Barrett disclosure teaches a scraper that, because of its thickness, increased by the brushes, rigid tines, and thick sponge, is not capable of being used in or applied to the back or distal areas of the mouth without inducing severe gagging. Thus, the net effect of the Barrett construction is that it is limited in use to the frontal or proximal areas of the tongue and is ineffectual for use in the distal more restricted areas.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an oral cleaning device, in particular, a tongue scraper in which the disadvantages enumerated above are overcome.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an oral cleaning device which is capable of scraping clean the remote or distal surfaces of the tongue to the vallate papillae without adverse effects.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an oral cleaning device which has a head portion that is flexible and capable of easily conforming to the contours of the surfaces of the tongue.
The foregoing, as well as other objects and other advantages will be apparent from the following disclosure of the present invention.